But in this study, Patel and colleagues used a large database containing medical data on millions of patients in the United States with a mean age of 36 years old. Previous studies looking at azithromycin and cardiac events examined specific populations that tend to be older and have more health issues, including Medicaid patients and veterans. In a previous study, Patel and colleagues found that one in five people prescribed azithromycin also were taking a QT-prolonging drug. “Because QT-prolonging drugs are used so commonly, our findings suggest that doctors prescribing azithromycin should be sure that patients are not also taking a QT-prolonging drug,” Patel said. These drugs include blood pressure medications such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers, some antidepressants, anti-malaria drugs such as hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, opioid medications and even muscle relaxers. Their findings are published JAMA Network Open in the article "Comparison of Cardiac Events Associated With Azithromycin vs Amoxicillin."ĭrugs that affect the electrical impulses of the heart, specifically the interval in the electrocardiogram (ECG) called the QT interval, are called QT-prolonging drugs. “We found that if taken together with drugs that affect the electrical impulses of the heart, the combination is linked with a 40% increase in cardiac events, including fainting, heart palpitations and even cardiac arrest.” “Our findings should give researchers and clinicians looking at azithromycin as a potential treatment for COVID-19 pause,” said Haridarshan Patel, a researcher in the department of pharmacy systems, outcomes and policy at the UIC College of Pharmacy and corresponding author on the paper. However, if the drug is taken with certain other drugs that affect the electrical functioning of the heart, then cardiac events increased. Now, researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago have found that azithromycin by itself is not associated with an increase in cardiac events. In 2013, the FDA issued a warning for azithromycin stating that it had been linked to cardiac events, but subsequent studies have yielded mixed results. Azithromycin’s association with cardiac events also has been debated. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked its emergency use authorization for the drug in treating COVID-19.Īnother drug, azithromycin, a commonly-prescribed antibiotic, also is being investigated as a potential treatment for COVID-19. SeptemDebates over whether hydroxychloroquine should be taken to help lessen the duration and impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) have revolved around the drug’s reputation for causing abnormal heart rhythms and cardiac arrest.
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